explosion

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explosion [noun] (BURST)

The fact of something such as a bomb exploding

US /ɪkˈsploʊ.ʒən/ 
UK /ɪkˈspləʊ.ʒən/ 
Example: 

The fire was thought to have been caused by a gas explosion.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

explosion

 noun
the sudden bursting and loud noise of something such as a bomb exploding:
There was an explosion and pieces of glass flew everywhere.
The verb is explode.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

explosion

explosion W3 /ɪkˈspləʊʒən $ -ˈsploʊ-/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: adjective: exploding, ↑explosive, ↑exploded, ↑unexploded; noun: ↑explosion, ↑explosive; verb: ↑explode; adverb: ↑explosively]
1. [countable] a loud sound and the energy produced by something such as a bomb bursting into small pieces ⇨ explode
bomb/gas/nuclear explosion
Several people were injured in a bomb explosion.
We heard a loud explosion.
huge/massive etc explosion
A massive explosion ripped through the building.
2. [uncountable and countable] a process in which something such as a bomb is deliberately made to explode:
Police carried out a controlled explosion of the device.
3. [countable] a sudden or quick increase in the number or amount of something:
the population explosion in India
explosion of
the recent explosion of interest in Latin music and dance
4. [countable] a sudden expression of emotion, especially anger SYN outburst
5. [countable] a sudden very loud noise
explosion of
an explosion of laughter
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + explosion
a big explosion There has been a big explosion in the centre of Paris.
a huge/massive/enormous explosion An enormous explosion tore the roof off the building.
a tremendous explosion (=very big and powerful) The torpedo struck the side of the ship, followed by a tremendous explosion.
a powerful explosion The powerful explosion was heard from Portland, Maine to Albany, New York.
a major explosion formal We are getting reports of a major explosion at the oil refinery.
a loud explosion We heard several loud explosions followed by an eerie silence.
a deafening explosion (=extremely loud) The building collapsed in a deafening explosion.
an almighty explosion old-fashioned (=extremely loud) There was an almighty explosion and I was knocked to the ground.
a muffled explosion (=one that is not heard very clearly) We could just make out a muffled explosion from deep inside the mine.
a nuclear/atomic explosion This is the site of the first ever nuclear explosion.
a gas explosion Firefighters say that a gas explosion destroyed the building.
a volcanic explosion (=one caused by a volcano) You could see where a volcanic explosion had blown the mountain peak away.
■ verbs
cause an explosion The police do not yet know what caused the explosion.
set off/trigger an explosion (=cause an explosion) Investigators believe a fuel leak may have triggered the explosion.
carry out an explosion (=cause one deliberately) By 1942, the United States had carried out test explosions with nuclear bombs.
hear an explosion Marie was reading in bed when she heard the explosion.
an explosion takes place/happens The largest explosion took place at the main post office.
an explosion occurs formal The explosion occurred just off the coast of Greece.
an explosion shakes something A series of explosions shook the building.
an explosion destroys something Seven people died when the explosion destroyed the bus.
an explosion kills somebody Last year, an underground explosion killed 82 miners.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 3)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + explosion
a sudden explosion Henry thought she was going to laugh, but then there was a sudden explosion of sobbing.
a population explosion The decision not to plant the fields led to a population explosion in rabbits.
■ phrases
an explosion of interest in something There has been an explosion of interest in networking websites in the last few years.
an explosion of violence The army had to cope with the explosion of violence that followed the elections.
an explosion of anger The verdict was greeted by an explosion of public anger.
an explosion of colour literary After the rain, the desert bloomed in an explosion of color.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ a very big increase
explosion noun [countable] a sudden very large increase in the amount or number of something: There has been an explosion in the number of fast food restaurants. | The country experienced a population explosion. | The book caused an explosion of interest in Renaissance Italy.
boom noun [singular] a sudden large increase in trade, profits or sales, with the result that a country, company, or industry becomes very successful. Boom is also used about a sudden increase in interest in something, with the result that it becomes very popular: the German economic boom of the 1960s | the Internet boom | There has been a boom in sales of diet books and videos.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

explosion

ex·plo·sion [explosion explosions]   [ɪkˈspləʊʒn]    [ɪkˈsploʊʒn]  noun
1. countable, uncountable the sudden violent bursting and loud noise of sth such as a bomb exploding; the act of deliberately causing sth to explode
a bomb/nuclear/gas explosion
There were two loud explosions and then the building burst into flames.
Bomb Squad officers carried out a controlled explosion of the device.

300 people were injured in the explosion.

2. countable a large, sudden or rapid increase in the amount or number of sth
a population explosion
an explosion of interest in learning Japanese

an explosion in oil prices

3. countable (formal) a sudden, violent expression of emotion, especially anger
Syn:  outburst
Do you know what brought on that explosion?
Demonstrators clashed with riot police in an explosion of anger at live animal exports.  
Word Origin:
early 17th cent.: from Latin explosio(n-) ‘scornful rejection’, from the verb explodere ‘drive out by clapping, hiss off the stage’, from ex- ‘out’ + plaudere ‘to clap’.  
Thesaurus:
explosion noun C
The explosion destroyed the building.
journalism blast
a loud/deafening/powerful/massive/huge explosion/blast
a bomb/gas/chemical/nuclear explosion/blast
a/an explosion/blast rips through/rocks sth 
Example Bank:
3 people were injured in the explosion.
A huge explosion rocked the entire building.
A loud explosion echoed around the valley.
A massive explosion erupted behind him.
A massive explosion ripped through the chemical works.
An explosion blew out the front windows.
Bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion on the suspect package.
How can we keep up with the information explosion?
I believe we will see an explosion in lawsuits of this kind.
If no action is taken, the country runs the risk of a social explosion.
In the 1860s a veritable explosion of major scientific publications took place.
The build-up of gas caused a small explosion.
The explosion came 20 minutes after a coded warning to the police.
The explosion caused major structural damage.
The explosion occurred just after midday.
The explosion shook nearby homes.
The floor shook with a distant explosion.
The shock waves of this political explosion engulfed the whole of Europe.
There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right.
a great explosion of creativity
a nuclear test explosion
a sudden explosion in the number of students
a sudden explosion of anger
The explosion sent a large cloud of smoke and dust into the air.

The world changed with the explosion of the first atomic bomb.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

explosion / ɪkˈspləʊ.ʒ ə n /   / -ˈsploʊ- / noun [ C or U ] (BURST)

explosion

B2 the fact of something such as a bomb exploding:

The fire was thought to have been caused by a gas explosion.

The explosion (= the intentional exploding) of nuclear devices in the Bikini Atoll was stopped in 1958.

© Cambridge University Press 2013

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

explosion

/ɪksploʊʒ(ə)n/
(explosions)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.
An explosion is a sudden, violent burst of energy, for example one caused by a bomb.
After the second explosion, all of London’s main train and subway stations were shut down...
Three people have been killed in a bomb explosion in northwest Spain.
= blast
N-COUNT

2.
Explosion is the act of deliberately causing a bomb or similar device to explode.
Bomb disposal experts blew up the bag in a controlled explosion...
N-VAR

3.
An explosion is a large rapid increase in the number or amount of something.
The study also forecast an explosion in the diet soft-drink market...
The spread of the suburbs has triggered a population explosion among America’s deer.
N-COUNT: with supp

4.
An explosion is a sudden violent expression of someone’s feelings, especially anger.
Every time they met, Myra anticipated an explosion...
= outburst
N-COUNT

5.
An explosion is a sudden and serious political protest or violence.
...the explosion of protest and violence sparked off by the killing of seven workers.
N-COUNT

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

explosion

ex·plo·sion /ɪkˈsploʊʒən/ noun, pl -sions [count]
1 : the sudden, loud, and violent release of energy that happens when something (such as a bomb) breaks apart in a way that sends parts flying outward
• The filmmakers staged the car's explosion.
• The island was rocked by a series of volcanic explosions.
• set off an explosion
2 a : a sudden and very fast increase
• The region has experienced a population explosion.
• an explosion of interest
b : a sudden expression of some strong emotion
• an explosion of anger
c : a sudden occurrence of laughter
• His comments prompted an explosion of laughter from the crowd.